Within the scope of Üsküdar Üniversitesi University Culture Course, the “Midwifery and Water Birth Talk with Midwife Barbara Harper” was organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Midwifery Department. The opening speech of the talk was given by Head of Midwifery Department, Prof. Dr. Güler Cimete. Cimete said; “I extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Yusuf Olgaç, who helped us organize this wonderful meeting. I also express my gratitude to Ms. Barbara Harper for being with us and for sharing her experiences.”
Op. Dr. Yusuf Olgaç: “Childbirth is a midwife's job, not a doctor's job”
Obstetrician and Gynecologist Op. Dr. Yusuf Olgaç advised midwifery students. Olgaç said; “Midwifery is very important to me; we, as birth teams, all work together. We all work for the same goal. But, of course, here we have started to change our roles. As doctors, we have started to usurp your roles. Or you have relinquished these roles to us. Childbirth is a midwife's job, not a doctor's job. As you know, Turkey ranks second in the rate of C-sections. When I usually talk to pregnant women and families, they blame the system and the doctors. Doctors blame the system. And because of the malfunction of this system, everyone passes the buck, but we cannot produce solutions and remain stagnant. My brief advice to you is this: own your profession. By owning it, I mean you are receiving an education at a very good university. Universities provide you with knowledge and skills, but they do not teach you the profession. You will start learning the profession when you enter the field. And remember that the work of childbirth requires continuous education. Even I attend training, despite being an obstetrician. There will always be something to learn from everyone; continue your education. Don't forget your job description; you are midwives, not nurses. Nursing is an important profession, and they also do very sacred work. But midwifery has a very distinct place. I wish you all success on this journey.”
Barbara Harper: “Every drop in education is actually a drop for the future”
Author, midwife, and educator Barbara Harper touched upon the functions of water and the education provided. Harper said; “We generally use the term water birth. I define it in two ways: water birth and the function of water birth. I want to talk about the differences between them. The purpose of using water's function is not to deliver in water. It actually seems like a happy contradiction. It is a different aspect of sending the baby into the pool. Using water during the birth process is very different and peaceful. When I came to Anadolu Hospital in 2004, the hospital set up a pool for me. There was also a separate birth pool. The expectant mother labored in the water. And she delivered in water very easily. However, her emotional reactions to this process worried the doctors. The doctor said, 'Okay, I need to finish this now.' He pulled me aside, and I said I would do whatever I had to do myself. The baby was delivered, and was born onto the bed. It was the first time a birth had been assisted by water. In fact, everything was fine. My goal was to educate people, not just at Anadolu Hospital, but everywhere. They advertised it, and a doctor from Tehran, Iran, also came. He came from Ali Akilhan Tarhan regarding water birth and performed the first water birth. And Iran progressed in water birth. But Turkey did not. Every drop in education is actually a drop for the future.”
“Being in, out, and next to the water changes the consciousness in your brain”
Harper, stating that she works to ensure the expectant mother and her baby feel comfortable and safe, said; “Our job is not to deliver the baby; what I first taught about midwifery was a five-day workshop. And I was telling people about peaceful and easy birth. We gathered in a circle in the classroom. We asked midwifery students how we could use this knowledge. How do you want to change things for your country and your hospitals? And one midwife, who was the head of the midwifery school, had been working for 30 years. Five days earlier, I knew what my job was. My job was actually to get the baby out as quickly as possible. To prevent the woman from suffering. And by the end of the third day, I didn't know what to do. Because you are telling me this is not my job. Now I understand, my job is to enter the room. And to be very relaxed, to care for the mother in order to give love, to provide her with the opportunity for the baby to come into the world. I do everything I can. It is for her to feel safe. And when I do this, she can give birth very peacefully. Being in, out, and next to the water changes the consciousness in your brain. It makes you more productive. It minimizes pain. And if I am at a birth, I never ask how much pain she is in. Pain is actually unavoidable. But suffering is optimal. Pain, however, is changeable. We can control it in our minds. Water can change the pain signal. And it can provide comfort to the mother. I describe the pool as a wider extension of the mother's womb to the outside.”
Event video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOXbyxDUPBw&t=1749s